This is an application for a K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award for Monica Fisher, DDS, MS, MPH, PhD. This award would allow Dr. Fisher to meet her long-term career goal to conduct productive and innovative patient-oriented research that focuses on oral health disparities and treatment effectiveness among high-risk populations. An immediate career goal is to gain additional expertise relevant to research on oral health disparities among high-risk populations. We propose 3 aims related to career development and 4 related to the research plan. Dr. Fisher's career development aims are to: (1) obtain advanced biostatistical training; (2) increase analytical expertise in the areas of treatment effectiveness and smoking as a major risk factor for oral disease and its systemic effects; and (3) use these findings as preliminary data for subsequent R03 and R01 grant applications. The Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health highlights the imperative for rigorous studies on oral health disparities in high-risk populations, studies on smoking as a major risk factor, and studies on linkages between oral and general health. Therefore, the research plan comprises investigations of oral health disparities among high-risk populations (data from the Florida Dental Care Study) and persons with systemic conditions (data from the third National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey). The specific aims of the research plan are to test hypotheses that among highrisk populations: (4) dental care is effective in facilitating recovery and preventing oral health-related quality of life decrements, but varies by race and socioeconomic status (SES); (5) dental care is effective in facilitating recovery and preventing oral diseases, but varies by race and SES; (6) periodontal disease is associated with heart disease and glycemic control in diabetics, in analyses restricted to non-smokers; (7) self-reported need for a dental cleaning is associated with heart disease and glycemic control in diabetics, in analyses restricted to non-smokers. This activity will take place in highly supportive research environments. Co-mentors Gregg Gilbert, DDS, MBA, Mark Litaker, PhD, and George Taylor, DMD, DrPH, national experts in their fields, will supervise Dr. Fisher's research and career development. The proposed plans will intensify and focus Dr. Fisher's career development, and make innovative, methodologically sophisticated contributions to the literature.